


Losing Touch

by Bubonicc



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Caretaking, M/M, Nightmares, Past Violence, Self-Mutilation, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, empurata Cyclonus, empurata Tailgate, robot gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-04-16 16:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4631934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubonicc/pseuds/Bubonicc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Empurata life is hard, but when you have someone to share it with it might just get a little better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Little Problem

Normally the rain wouldn't have bothered him, but today he had a long walk home and it was down pouring. Not to mention Galvatron has been hounding him about finishing reports, which he was very behind on.

            Taking a deep breath and tapping one thick claw against his chestplate, he exhaled and stepped out into the rain. It wasn't exactly cold out, though the rain hitting his plating did send a shiver down his spinal strut as he made his way to the side walk and towards home. Nothing a warm shower wouldn't fix, and he had been meaning to finish off the last few verses to a song he had been working on.

            He walked a few blocks, keeping his head low as bots passed him on both sides. He only stopped when he had to cross a busy street, standing in place and waiting for the light to change for him to cross.

            As he stood there with his arms crossed, trying to ignore the bots staring at him from all around who also waited with him. He wanted to admit he had gotten used to being an empurata. After all this time he figured it would get easier to accept his fate, but some days he struggled.

            Hands and face both replaced, his horns had been sheared down to little nubs, no longer carrying the visage of a proud warrior. In fact it was he who ground his horns down to nothing. After losing his face and hands he felt he didn't deserve them, nor did they look right on his frame any longer. Maybe they had left them just so he would grind them down himself as one last effort to punish him. Either way, he had to deal with it now.

            Bolting across the street as the light turned, Cyclonus rushed ahead of everyone, though came to a stop on the other side of the curb when his big red optic rotated and focused on something moving in the alleyway.

            At first he thought it might just be vermin scouring the dumpsters for any cycled energon, but that quickly vanished from his thoughts when he saw a faint blue glow. As he stepped forwards, it vanished under some cardboard which was already soaked and soggy from the rain. Whatever it was, it was much too large to be any pest.

            Thinking nothing of it, Cyclonus tried to walk by, but the faint blue oval reappeared and he stopped. Waiting a moment, he saw it blink and fade out again.

            He leaned to one side, looking around before back down the alley. The district he was in was rather high up, it was unlikely broken down bots would be hiding in corners like this. In fact lower class bots were rarely seen at all in places like this.

            Not sure why, Cyclonus started to make his way towards the stacked cardboard. He stood in front of it for a moment, watching it quiver. For a quick second he thought he could hear the faintest sounds of whimpering. Then came the soft baby blue glow of an optics, peeking out from a slit in the soggy cardboard and dimming nearly offline as Cyclonus reached and pulled it off.

            To his surprise, a wide while little mini bot was under the rubbish. He was sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs, his head down as the whimpering grew slightly louder.

            _Claws._

            Cyclonus’ single optics focused on the three chubby digest on each hand, and the single big blue optics to mini was trying to hide in his knees. His thick claws pulled at one another, quaking and slipping as they tried to grip one another.

            Cyclonus kneeled down, looking the little bot over. It came as no surprise that he was dirty, but what was surprising were the weld marks on the little bots wrists and head.

            _These are fresh surgery welds. Can't be more than a day old._

            Cautiously, he took one of the mini’s arms, having to really pull it with his own claws so the mini would surrender it to him. Once close enough, Cyclonus scanned over it, seeing the plating was irritated and no doubt on its way to infection. He could tell just by the way the mini was moving them they were sore. He seemed to struggle to move some, no doubt fighting off the excruciating pain of the transfer.

            Glancing up, he noted the mini’s optic wasn't dimming on and off from his own request, but rather because he was low on energy. Clear sighs were all over. Slow moment, weak joints, optics flickering on and off without the user’s desire. He was slowly starving to death, and at this rate would be a pile of scrap in a few days.

            Letting the mini’s hand slip from his own claws, he watched him try a few times to grab the cardboard and pull it over himself to shield himself from the rain. It had taken him a few tries to get a good grip on it, as it kept tearing from his new claws, which he seemed to not be adjusting to very well.

            Sitting back on his haunches, Cyclonus looked around, seeming at the mouth of the alley that bots passed by without even a glance down. Maybe it was fate he had found this sad little thing.

            Looking back down, he sighed and pulled the garbage off the mini and slowly picked him up. At first the dirty bot struggled, but gave up after its frame tired out and fell slack in Cyclonus' arms. Pulling it’s hands to it’s chest, it nervously pulled on the chubby claws again, not looking up at the big mech as he was carried from the alley and back out into the world. What exactly was driving Cyclonus to do this, he wasn't sure but a part of him couldn't leave the little thing there.

 

* * *

 

 

Balancing the mini on his arm, Cyclonus unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped in, closing it quickly behind him. His space was relatively neat. Book shelves lined the walls and a table that was close to a couch had stacks of paper and data pads all over it with what seemed to be covered in musical notes. Along the walls there were three other doors, no doubt one leading to a kitchen, washroom, and probably his berthroom. Indicating he probably lived alone with how small the space was. Though he was content with it, never having needed more.

            Pulling over a stool, Cyclonus set the mini on it then stood up, shaking some of the rainwater out of his seams.

            "Stay here. I'll be right back, I have to get a few things." It didn't cross his mind that maybe the mini might not be able to understand him, but when the mini looked up at him and stayed in place he figured he could.

            Heading off into the kitchen, Cyclonus didn't return for a few minutes. All the while the mini kept looking around, taking in everything he could before Cyclonus was back and plopping himself down on the sofa. He reached forwards, grabbing a rung on the stool and pulled the mini closer to him while setting down a bucket with his other hand. He had also brought a glass of energon, a strange color the mini had never seen before.

            Snapping at the rag inside of the bucket, Cyclonus did his best to ring it out. Once satisfied, he leaned forwards and started to wipe away some of the grime on the mini’s frame. It was thickest by his joints, which he really hard to work at to clear, but the soft little sighs he got from the mini when they were clear told him he was feeling a little bit better.

            "Do you have a name?" Cyclonus asked after a while, not looking up at him but instead cleaning off the mini’s arms and picking at some words on his arm that seemed to have been scratched off. He didn't think he would get an answer, but the soft voice that came from the mini startled him.

            "T-Tailgate." The mini watched as his white plating came back into view after being covered in mud for so long.

            "Why were you outside...in this district?" No answer came. "Does anybody know you are here or what happened?" Still no answer and Cyclonus sighed, just rinsing Tailgate off. "Fine... don't talk." Taking one of Tailgate’s arms, he pulled it close and dabbed his rag into the glass of energon. Bring it back down, he swabbed it over the fresh welds, earning a loud squeal from Tailgate in return as his arm was yanked from Cyclonus grasp and pulled hard against his own chest. It burned terribly, whatever Cyclonus was putting on him, and his hands and face already hurt enough. Already he was upset he had undergone such tortures, why more now?

            A faint glimmer of coolant welled below the big blue optic, spilling down and over the edge of Tailgate’s missing facial plate. More and more followed the more upset he seemed to get, and his vents sputtered out soft choked sobs of air.

            "I know it hurts." Cyclonus reached for Tailgate’s arm again, getting slightly irritated when Tailgate turned away. "It's going to hurt a lot more if you don't let me clean it and bandage them properly." He growled, though tried to soften his tone when he noticed Tailgate was shaking. "Tailgate." He waited, watching Tailgate slowly turn and look at him, hand held tight with his other claws, not wanting to give it up.

            Slowly, he handed it over, hiccupping and crying more as Cyclonus continued to dab and wash, getting bits of grim and off the weld then wrapping it up nice and tight after a quick slather of medical grade was applied. Then the next hand and he did the same. All the while Tailgate’s single optics produced thick tears that splattered into his own thighs, and he brought his free hand up to try and wipe them away now and again.

            "I've finished." Letting the mini’s arm slip free from his hand, the mini examined the wraps and spread his claws a bit. It still hurt, and throbbed now with the medicine on it, but if what Cyclonus was telling him was true, they would get worse if left alone. "Now, something to eat." Next came a small glass of energon, which Cyclonus held out to him.

            Hesitant, Tailgate very slowly reached up and took the glass, his claws struggling to get a good grip on it, and as soon as Cyclonus let it go into Tailgate’s full grip, it shattered from the pressure. Bits of glass and energon landed below, and Tailgate started to whimper again. He covered his open face, curling his wet claws a bit and crying until Cyclonus pulled his hand back down.

            "Try again, like this." Expecting Tailgate to squeeze too hard and break the glass, Cyclonus positioned the new one in his claws. Setting one under the glass, he wrapped the other two around it for grip. "If you keep one claw under it you will be able to hold it. Don't squeeze." Slowly he let Tailgate’s hands go and watched him hold the glass in front of him a while. "Good." If he didn't at least teach him how to fuel in his current state, Tailgate would no doubt die on his own.

            He let Tailgate practice a few times before helping him pour it into his arm intake, which was also messy but with time he would get better at it. Hopefully. Having to give Tailgate a medium grade of energon, Cyclonus feared a high grade may have been too rich for his systems as low as they were. It would be wise for Cyclonus to wean him into the better stuff over time.

            Optic finally halting it’s flickering, Tailgate took a deep breath and watched as Cyclonus got back up and brought the bucket to the washroom. When he came back he had some blankets in hand.

            "You need to recharge. The energon is probably making you feel better but with some rest you should be even better tomorrow. Plus," Draping a blanket over the mini and wrapping him up, he set him down on the sofa, "you need to keep warm. Your core temperature is low...probably from sitting in the rain." Dropping Tailgate onto the couch, Cyclonus threw another blanker over him and tucked him in. "Recharge, I will be up in the morning to check on you." Was it truly wise to invite a stranger into his own, take care of them and let them stay the night? No, but something about this mini was catching his attention and he couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe the fact they both suffered empurata and that Cyclonus knew what it was like to be dumped off after the surgery, though since he was higher ranking he was cared for still. This mini, not so much.

            Snuggling into the couch pillow, Tailgate pulled up the blanket, enjoying this comfort a lot more than his cardboard gave him. It was cozy and felt much safer, though the bigger purple mech did terrify him.

            As Cyclonus left the room for his own berth, Tailgate sat up, shrugging the blanket off and looking about the room a bit more now that he could see properly.

            The first thing he brought his attention to were the music papers on the table, which took him a few tried to grab and pull into sight.

            "Cyclonus..." He read at the top of the paper, scanning over the notes and having no idea what to make of them. It all seemed to be gibberish to him and he tossed it back down and sighed. Pulling his arms out from the covers, he looked at them, not all cleaned, though in need of a polish, but that seemed like a luxury now.

            Slowly, he spread his claws, his optic dimming as they throbbed from the movement. Opening and closing them until the pain became too intense, he let them fall down in his lap and play with the soft fabric a while.

            Running through his mind was how long would he be able to stay here? How long would Cyclonus want him around? Was this just a nice thing he was doing just for tonight, or was he planning on helping him more? Tailgate didn't have much or anything at all to return the favor with, and what if he asked how he got the way he did. What if he asked Cyclonus how he got the way he was and he got angry at him and kicked him out?

            Spark racing, Tailgate flopped back down onto the sofa and pulled the pillow hard into his missing faceplate. It was all too much to think about, and he sure didn't want to go back to living on the streets where other bots booed at him and threw things. Anything but that.

            He would have to make himself useful to the big mech if he wanted to stick around, get more energon. Have to earn his keep and not just be a needy lump. Though how?

            Offlining his optics, Tailgate drifted off into a much needed recharge, not noticing Cyclonus had been standing in the doorway watching him with his arms crossed the whole time.


	2. Life Is A Nightmare

Tailgate didn't wake right away the next morning, sleeping soundlessly on the sofa until his audio picked up faint footsteps that grew a bit louder the closer they got to him.

            Flickering his optic on as he felt the blanket on his shoulder be pulled up a bit, he looked up. A blurry purple blotch showed up before him and he stretched his legs when he realized it was just Cyclonus.

            "I have some errands to run. I will be gone until this afternoon." He knelt down, flipping a part of Tailgate’s blanket up to take a look at his claws. Pulling one out from under the mini, he looked over the welds, which looked much better now that he had tended to them properly. With a little more care the welds should heal completely and Tailgate shouldn't feel any kind of pain anymore. Not the Physical kind anyway.

            Tailgate was quiet, spreading his little claws when Cyclonus pushed then apart to see how well they moved. Though still tense, Cyclonus was satisfied with their progress. It would still be a long road to teach Tailgate how to function with them but at least it would keep him busy.

            "I set some energon for you in the kitchen. Hold the glasses like I showed you so you don't break anymore." Not that he cared, even he sometimes shattered them when he didn't have a good grip and it had become routine to replace them after a few months. "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to, but you will be safe for today if you do." Letting Tailgate’s hand go, he watched him tuck it back under his little chest and nod. Truth be told he couldn't stop Tailgate from leaving if he wanted too, but a part of him wished when he came back the mini would still be around. "I'll return in a bit." Tucking Tailgate back in, Cyclonus stood and turned. Walking to the door, he opened it then glanced back at Tailgate who was cuddling back into the puffy pillow and sighed. Stepping out and closing the door, he was gone.

             

* * *

 

 

It was a good feeling to be able to sleep in for as long as he wanted. It was good to lay on something soft and be warm and not having to constantly flick bugs off himself whenever they crawled between his seams at night. It was great to sit up and be in a warm cozy little home.

            Tailgate’s vents clicked open, letting out a loud yawn as he rubbed at his single optic. How much longer had he slept since Cyclonus had left, he wasn't sure but it seemed he still had not been back yet.

            Tank rumbling, Tailgate kicked the blanket off of himself and slipped right off of the sofa. He gave his chubby claws a look, seeing the welds did in fact look a lot better today than they had in a long time. Even his systems were running more efficiently, and he hummed to himself while skipping to the table Cyclonus had left energon out for him. He was glad Cyclonus was kind enough to pour it in a glass for him, in fact there were three glasses full of energon for him. Maybe he figured he would be gone a while and at least give Tailgate a bit to eat before he came back, or he thought Tailgate would be really hungry. Either way, Tailgate was careful to take one, carefully trying to hold it the way Cyclonus has showed him. He had some trouble at first, his own claws far too small for these big glasses and it took a few tries to get the right grip before he picked it up.

            He opened his arm port and slowly dumped it inside, trying to be as cautious as possible, though he still managed to spill a bit on himself and the floor.

            "Dang it." He placed the glass back on the table and looked around for a cloth or a rag of some sort. One had been hanging on a rack close to the counter and he pulled it off. He cleaned off his arm first, then knelt down on the floor and mopped up the bit of energon. Once gone he sat up on his knees and sighed.

            Optic brightening when Tailgate noticed a few things crumpled up under the table, Tailgate crawled under and picked them up.

            It looked like paper, and when he unfolded it and did his best to flatten it out, it looked like old sheet music. It was scribbled out, no doubt pieces Cyclonus had tried to make and then hated. He must have thrown them to the floor when he got angry at them.

            Tailgate gathered the rest of the papers and carried them over to the trash, dropping them all in then turning back to the empty apartment.

            "Maybe I could," Tailgate tapped the underside of his chin piece and started to go through the bottom cabinets. He pulled out a bucket, some sponges and soaps.

            He had to scoot a chair over to the counter then hop up onto it to reach the sink. He could reach it just fine but in order to get the bucket in he needed a little more height.

            Filling it about half way, he put some soaps in then hopped back down to the floor where he snatched up a sponge and dipped it in.

            He started with the kitchen first, giving the cabinets and floor a good scrub before making his way to the washroom. Cleaning every little crack he could get his claws into, slowly the apartment started to shine. He dumped the dirty water out in the shower, then moved back to the living room area where he folded the blanket Cyclonus had put over him.

            He fluffed the pillows up and set them all back neatly on the sofa then moved to organize the papers and books on the mini table. Some pens were scattered about and he got a cup to put them in, though found it extremely challenging to pick them up from the table’s surface. He resulted into sliding them off rather than trying to pinch them.

            Next he organized Cyclonus’ sheet music, which he had numbered thankfully. Making it easier for tailgate to keep them in order, he put a clip on them then set them down nice and neat. All around there had been some crumpled up papers were around the living room, and he made his way around collecting them. The last few were under the mini table and he got down and reached for them, getting under it a bit.

            "What are you doing?" Tailgate heard and jumped, hitting the top of his head on the underside of the table and making everything on top jump with him.

            "Ow!" Pulling out and sitting back, Tailgate rubbed the top of his head and looked up, seeing a big red optic staring down at him. He dropped all the paper balls, then scrambled to pick them back up. "I... I was..." His spark started to pound and he looked down.

            Cyclonus stared a moment longer down at the nervous mini, then took a look around the much cleaner room. His books were back in place on the shelves, all perfectly straight and all in alphabetical order. Some dirty energon glasses he had on some end tables were gone and he could see where his scraps of paper had gone since Tailgate was fumbling with them currently.

            "You don't have to clean." Putting his claws under Tailgate’s arms, he helped him stand up, watching him pick at a paper ball.

            "Well I..." Tailgate trailed off, his optic dimming a bit. "Just want to be useful."

            Cyclonus sighed and took the papers from Tailgate and threw them out for him.

            "You don't have to be. I didn't bring you here so you could clean my apartment." He noticed one of the energon glasses on the kitchen table are empty and breathed a sigh of relief that Tailgate had fueled. He had been worried Tailgate would starve himself but it seemed he was going to be okay. Sometimes bots who had empurata would completely shut down and self-mutilate, in his case, Cyclones ground down his horns.

            Cyclonus turned to look at Tailgate, seeing he was playing with the paper to one of his music sheets. He waited until Tailgate looked up and pulled on his claws nervously.

            "You write music?"

            "Old Cybertronian war songs. Back from the Golden Age. Most were destroyed when archives were ruined but I remember then. So I rewrite them. It's something to keep my mind occupied." Heading past Tailgate, Cyclonus grabbed one of the energon glasses on the table and held it out to him. "Now fuel up. You need to stay full if you want those welds to heal quickly."

 

* * *

 

 

Tailgate tossed and turned on the sofa, kicking the blanket off of himself and burying his face into his pillow. His optic flickered on for only a few seconds before burning out as he dreamed.

            Soft whines and cries escaped him, his little chubby claws dug into the sofa’s fabrics, pulling hard enough to threaten to tear it.

            "Mmh!" He kicked, his frame trembling suddenly. "Please don't... please." He whimpered, tossing over again and suddenly yanking his hand close to his chest. His claws curled and flexed, and he let out another loud whimper.

            Inside of his processor, Tailgate saw himself running as fast as his little legs could take him. His face and hands still intact. Mouth covered by a faceplate, he had a bright blue visor covering his optics. Both of his hands were curled into first as he ran, all ten fingers still present.

            "Please! I didn't mean too!" He shouted, looking over his shoulder and squealing as guards were perusing him. "Please! Just leave me alone! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Coolant flooded out of his visor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please!" Legs getting too far ahead of himself, he tripped and fell hard, sliding a bit.

            As he tried to get up, a hard ped came down on his back, forcing him back face down into the mud. He clawed at the ground, digging his peds into it and sobbing harder as he felt the heel of the ped on his back dig painfully into his spinal strut.

            "Please!" He begged before something grabbed the back of his hood and yanked him up right off his feet. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please!" He pulled his hand flush against his chest, sobbing hysterically as the guards laughed.

            "Should have thought of that before. I live for bots like you slipping up. You lower class bots, always slip up. Always provide the best hunt." Handing him off to the other guard, he snapped one of Tailgate’s hands before the mini could hide them away. "Since you're a lower class bot, I don't think it will matter if I start your surgery early." Grabbing two of Tailgate’s servos, he wrenched them off.

            Energon spurt all over as the servos pulled free. The inner cables snapped and pulled free, and Tailgate screamed. He tried to pull his hand back, sobbing as the two knuckle stubs spread and continued to spurt energon.

            "Stop! Please! Please I said please! I said please!" He kicked, though it was useless since the bots were much taller than he was. "It hurts! Please! It hurts!" He tried to squirm free but something hit him in the face so hard his visual field went on the fritz. Lines of static crossed his video feed and when his visor came back online he could see one whole side was shattered.

            "Beg all you want." Another punch, this time to Tailgate’s side, and his fans rattled from it as the wind was knocked right out of him. "You deserve this for what you did. Now accept it." Taking Tailgate’s other hand, the bot started to yank free to more servos.

            Screams echoed through the condensed buildings, but nobody came to his rescue. With what little vision he had left he could see higher class bots walking right past the ally’s entrance, completely ignoring the fact they were mutilating his hands in the open.

            The world he lived in now, bots like him were expendable, and nobody cared if they were torn apart in an ally. Nobody cared if he would spend the rest of his days under a cardboard box withering away. Nobody cared.

            The two servos tore free, and Tailgate yanked his hand back, trying to nurse them with only six fingers left. Once little white hands, now stained pink as he bled out.

            He choked on his sob as the bot dropped him and he landed hard on his back. He rolled over, crawling the best he could but his hands sparked and his remaining servos started to seize up from the pain. It shocked him right up to his elbows, and he felt like purging.

            He snapped back his back in case he did, though it was a mistake when the bots above caught on and picked him up again.

            "What a pretty little face." Holding onto Tailgate’s back with one hand, the bot used his free hand to squeeze Tailgate’s chubby cheeks, forcing his lips to pucker. "Too bad it's going to be torn out." Digging his own servos into Tailgate’s face, the mini screamed.

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting up fast, Tailgate heaved, hyperventilating as he tried to figure out where he was. It took a moment to register he was on the sofa safe in Cyclonus’ apartment. A wave of relief crashed over him, but he looked down at his hands, rubbing at the welds and sniffling. Next he touched for his face, not feeling his visor or faceplate and he felt a knot form in his chest.

            He hated it, hated having the same nightmare nearly every night and waking up to feel like his servos had been torn off once again. It didn't make sense why the pain lingered, why he still felt it even after the surgery, and it only upset him further.

            Looking at his arm were several scratches and gouge marks had been, Tailgate’s optic darkened and he growled. Taking his free hand, he started to scratch at the metal, clawing at the pains and peeling more of it off. He whimpered as the claws dug into the metal, drawing a bit of energon, and he eventually stopped after a few fresh scraps had been made. Whatever was once on his arm was now thoroughly scratched off but to him he could still see it. It burned bright on his optic like a hot brand and no matter how much he scratched and picked it was always there.

            Pulling the covers off, Tailgate stood up and looked around, it was still the middle of the night, and Cyclonus room light was off meaning he was sleeping.

            Not wanting to lay back down, Tailgate quietly wandered over to Cyclonus room door and pushed it open enough to see Cyclonus laying on his side on his berth. His optic light was off, and his breathing was slow, one of his hands was hanging over the berth side.

            Taking a deep breath, Tailgate walked in, heading to the side Cyclonus hand was draped over. He stared, keeping his own optic light dimmed down as his little claws floated a few inches away from Cyclonus’.

            Lightly, he took and held his hand, squeezing Cyclonus hand and tugging on it a bit.

"Cyclonus." He whispered, brightening his optic a bit. "Cyclonus I had a nightmare." He waited, his spark fluttering when Cyclonus’ optic flickered online, but just barely. "I had a nightmare." His voice cracked and he gave the hand another squeeze.

            At first Cyclonus said nothing, then let out a soft sigh before pushing back on the berth and patting it.

            "Lay here." His tone was low, groggy. He flicked his optic offline again when Tailgate was up and laying down, though he kept a good amount of space between them, not wanting to over step his boundaries.

            He lay awake, just watching Cyclonus sleep for hours before cuddling into the pillow. His spark hurt, in fact everything hurt, but the pain dulled from just listening to Cyclonus breath in his sleep. It lulled him, pulling him back into a much more relaxed sleep.


	3. Honor

His fans kicked on when his frame started to get a little too warm and kicking the blankets off didn’t seem to help. He had stirred awake when he had tried to roll over but felt something heavy against his chest and his seams suddenly strain.

            Dimming his optic online and flickering it a few times to get it to focus, Cyclonus looked down to see the small white bot he had taken in cuddled flush against his chest. Face nearly completely buried, Cyclonus couldn’t even see Tailgate’s optic lens.

            He noticed Tailgate had shoved his thick little claws into his chest seam, holding onto him as he slept. If he recalled right last night Tailgate had wandered in his room and jostled him awake. It took him a moment of processing to remember that Tailgate said he had had a nightmare and Cyclonus for some reason allowed him up onto his berth. He could have sworn though that Tailgate had been sleeping at the very edge of the berth and hadn’t even tried to get close. Though now he was as close as he could possibly ever get.

            Cyclonus was still, just watching and listening to Tailgate breathe. It was quite relaxing, the quiet, and the company of the mini by him. He enjoyed the silence for a little while longer before sighing and very gently pulling Tailgate’s claws from his seams with a small pop. They had really been wedged inside, though it left no scuffs.

            Slowly, Cyclonus rose from the Berth and rubbed his back. Turning, he looked down at Tailgate who still slept sound. Pulling the blanket over Tailgate and tucking him back in; he figured he would give the little bot another hour to sleep in before he woke him for energon.

            Heading to the washroom, Cyclous turned on the shower and stepped in. Like any other morning he scrubbed his frame spotless then stepped out and stood before a large mirror to examine himself. It was impossible to tell how he was feeling but whenever his single optic spotted his sheered horns, he looked away and got right back to drying himself.

            More than once had he thought about getting rid of all the mirrors in his home, not wanting to see what he had brought upon himself but he needed them to cut his horns down. So they remained. Hopefully one day he would get his face and hands back but the situation was grim.

 

Claws twitching when they felt they had been removed from their nesting point, Tailgate onlined his optic and looked directly in front of him. Having expected to see Cyclonus, he was startled when the space was empty. So startled he sat up and started to pull the blankets up off the berth to see if maybe Cyclonus was just under them, even though it was a bit unrealistic for him to be hiding.

            “Cyclonus!” Tailgate shirked, hopping off the berth and looking under it, only to see two purple peds on the other side of it as Cyclonus came into the room. He stood and watched Tailgate’s head pop up above the berth and his optics brighten in delight.

            “Why are you yelling?” Cyclonus asked casually, seeing the blankets all over the floor and Tailgate scrambling to pick them up.

            “I thought you left me!” He would have blushed in embarrassment if he could have, but instead did his best to make the berth. Once finished, he tottered over to Cyclonus and looked up to him. “I’m sorry, I…was just scared.” Pinching at his own servos, Tailgate looked down.

            As Cyclonus was about to tell Tailgate how silly he was for thinking such a thing, something caught Cyclonus attention.

            As Tailgate fiddled with his own claws, the gouge marks on his arm were standing loud and proud on his arm for Cyclonus to see. The other night he had noticed the scars from healed wounds but these were recent.

            Grabbing Tailgate’s arm, Cyclonus pulled it up to try and get a better look, which only made Tailgate whine as the cuts throbbed.

            “What is this from?” He asked in a stern tone, seeing Tailgate suddenly fall quiet. “Tailgate.” His optics darkened and Tailgate whimpered.

            “Me. I did them. Last night after my nightmare, I did them.” He didn’t try to pull his arm back as Cyclonus’ claws had quite the iron grip on him. He allowed himself to be picked up and carried to the washroom where Cyclonus sat him on a stool.

            “You can’t do this to yourself.” Pulling up another stool, Cyclonus moved around the room to gather a cloth and then some medical grade. He sat then dipped the rag into the medical grade and retook Tailgate’s arm in hand. “You could get a rust infection, and it can kill you.”

            Dabbing at the scrapes, Cyclonus paused a moment to see something was written on Tailgate’s arm. It was nearly impossible to read due to Tailgate’s mutilation of the plating and he gave up and just continued cleaning. He sighed, wrapping the mini’s arm in clean bandages. Once done he let Tailgate’s arm go and just watched the mini pick at the wraps. He slapped Tailgate’s claws away lightly and glared.

            Reaching over to Tailgate’s other arm, Cyclonus looked it over, seeing no scraps nor writing, which meant it had only been inscribed on one of Tailgate’s arms.

            “What are you doing?” Tailgate asked as Cyclonus inspected him, his little spark fluttering as he noticed Cyclonus had picked up on what he was trying so desperately to hide.

            “What did your arm say?”

            “What?”

            “Your arm, there is writing of some kind under all your scars, what did it say?” Cyclonus let Tailgate’s arm slip from his grasp and watched the mini process his question. He found it curious Tailgate was taking so long to answer.

            “I…don’t remember.” Cyclonus’ optic flickered in annoyance. “After I woke up from the surgery, I really didn’t remember much about what happened. I had a lot of cuts on me, not just my arm.” Though true, Tailgate’s arm suffered the most damage beside his face and hands and Cyclonus was smart enough to know it was self-inflected. “I swear, I don’t know.” His spark fluttered again when Cyclonus hummed but seemed to accept the answer, for now.

            “Try to keep yourself from doing it any further.” Getting up, Cyclonus left Tailgate alone in the washroom.

            Looking at his arm, Tailgate’s frame slumped a bit, and he pulled on the bandages a bit before quickly stomping when he heard Cyclonus moving around on the outside of the room. Hopping off of the stool, he quickly, Tailgate walked out and into the kitchen where he saw Cyclonus pouring the two of them a glass of energon.

            Cyclonus was quiet for the most part, handing Tailgate his drink then heading over to the living room to sit and read the morning news. He made no noise as Tailgate followed and sat next to him, though when he finished his glass of energon, he gently pat Tailgate on the top of the head.

            Lightening up, Tailgate inched over to him until both of their hips were touching. He was afraid at first, but Cyclonus didn’t seem to mind as he just continued to read the news.

            “I have to go out again today.” Optics flicking over to look at Tailgate moment, he noticed the mini playing with his nearly empty glass. “Do you want to come out with me today?” Tailgate was healed enough to run errands with him. He felt bad leaving him all alone in the apartment but it seemed Tailgate didn’t mind and kept himself quite busy.

            “Really?!” Nearly dropping his glass, Tailgate turned to Cyclonus and wiggled. “I can come?!” He squealed when Cyclonus nodded to him.

            “I’m going to need help carrying a few things, it will be a lot easier if you came with me. Plus it will be good for you to get some air.” He figured Tailgate could at least hold the items least likely to be broken if Tailgate carried them. It would be good for Tailgate since it would help him learn how to better use his claws outside of Cyclonus’ home. Since there may come a point Tailgate could no longer rely on him if he needed his help it was better to get him active now.

            “I’ll carry everything!” Tailgate exclaimed, hopping off the sofa and pace back and forth, now to giddy to hold still. “I’ll do it! Watch me!” He jumped, stopping when he could have sworn he heard Cyclonus’ chuckle at his little show.

            “I’ll hold you up to that.” Getting up, Cyclonus pat Tailgate on the head again and started to gather a few papers from his desk then folded them up into his subspace. “Alright, let’s head out, we have a long walk.” Not sure it Tailgate could transform yet without irritating his still healing wounds, Cyclonus ushered him out the door and then locked it. “A few blocks from here I have someone I need to meet and then we can run and get some supplies for the home.”

 

Outside, Cyclonus walked a steady pace while Tailgate skipped along in front of him. Seeming much cheerier, he would spin and wait for Cyclonus to catch up with him then continue trotting along the way. He only stopped when he came to a part of the street they would have to cross.

            "Take my hand." Cyclonus said from behind him and extended out his claws to Tailgate who grabbed them without hesitating. Pinching them the best he could to hold on, he waited by Cyclonus’ side until the light blinked for them to walk and together they crossed.

            Once on the other side, Cyclonus made no move to let Tailgate’s hand go, and Tailgate was just fine with it. He even gave a small squeeze and giggled to himself. He had never held anybody’s hand before, well...claws. It was nice even if he couldn't feel it that well just looking to the side and seeing their claws pinched together made his little spark flutter.

            "So who are we seeing?"

            "My boss..." They took a few turns, Cyclonus making a great effort to ignore the bots on the other side of the street pointing at the two of them. It must have been a strange sight to see two bots with empurata holding hands or even being happy considering their condition was meant to be shunned.

            "Oh..." Wondering what Cyclonus actually did for a job, he just followed along quietly until showing up to a large glass building that Tailgate couldn't even see the top of. "Whoa." Being pulled through the revolving doors which Tailgate really _really_ wanted to play in.

            They took an elevator up several dozen floors before finally coming to a stop. As the doors opened, Tailgate’s blue optic brightened at all the beautiful royal purple colors hinted with an accent of gold. If he had a jaw he would no doubt be picking it up off the floor as Cyclonus pulled him along.

            As they entered an office at the end of the hall, Tailgate pulled his hand free from Cyclonus’ grip and hid behind him when he saw the even larger purple mech standing behind the desk at the back of the room. His back was to them, hands folded behind his back as he looked out the window down over the city.

            "Galvatron." Cyclonus said, and Galvatron turned, smiling at him.

            "Ah, Cyclonus, I was expecting you. Do you have the reports I-" Pausing when he saw the mini hiding behind Cyclonus’ leg, Galvatron raised an eyebrows. "You have my reports?" He watched Cyclonus shuffle over and Tailgate shuffle along with him, keeping his none existent face hidden in one of Cyclonus' thighs.

            "As you requested." Pulling the papers from his subspace, he handed them over and then looked down at Tailgate, patting him on the head. "This is Tailgate. I found him."

            "A pet?" Galvatron tilted his head and shuffled through the papers to make sure they were all there, once satisfied he set them down on his desk. "I never took you for one to own mini bots." Moving over to Cyclonus, Galvatron looked down at Tailgate who shrank back into Cyclonus again.

            "Not a pet, just company. Found him abandoned in an ally. Welds still fresh. So I took him in."

            "You took him in because you know what it's like..." Galvatron stood straight. "Cyclonus I know this hasn't been easy for you but I am doing my best to get you your hands and faceplate back. It's going to be near impossible to do it legally. I have someone who might be able to help but they won't be able to come for a few weeks, perhaps a full months time. Won't it be nice to have your old self back, though that mini bot will all you have to look at unless you get rid of him when this is all over. What was his crime anyway? Surely it wasn't challenging an officer of a higher rank?"

            Cyclonus shifted, a long time ago he had tried to defend Galvatron’s honor drunkenly in a bar. It was unfortunate for him. Not only had the guard out ranked him, but also beat him in combat. Resulting in Cyclonus’ empurata condition. Not only did he lose his face and hands...but his honor which hurt him the most.

            "I don't know what he did." Glancing down at Tailgate, he noticed him picking at the bandages again and bumped him with his ped to get him to stop. "I assume he was a lower class bot, possibly disposable class, did something he wasn't supposed to and ended up like this." He heard Tailgate huff, knowing he was getting angry that they were talking about him right in front of him but he knew better than to talk. The words about getting rid of him stung and his shoulders sagged, but Cyclonus didn't seem to agree with Galvatron so it made him hopeful, either that or Cyclonus just didn't want him to burst into tears right then and there is had had said he was getting rid of him.

            "Well...I have a few things I wish to talk with you about, do you mind if your mini waits outside?" Galvatron leaned to the side, "Nothing personal." He said as Cyclonus pushed Tailgate along until he was out of the room.

            "This should only take a few minutes, don't talk to anybody until I come and get you. Stay in the building. Don't leave with anybody. If you want you can wait in the lower lobby for me." Closing the door, Cyclonus left Tailgate out alone in the hall to stop his ped.

            "Mean..." Tailgate snorted and looked around. He was impressed, never having seen the inside of a higher class building before. It was all too beautiful and he watched as bots walked back and forth right past him without a second glance. Though he could see some bots by a counter whispering at one another and looking at him from time to time which was making him uneasy.

            Deciding it was best to not stand around and look out of place, Tailgate started to wonder down to the main lobby like Cyclonus had said. He had taken the stairs this time just to burn some time since the elevator would have him down in a flash.

            As he reached the bottom floor, his optic lit up when he saw the revolving door.

 

Cyclonus stepped off the elevator, expecting to see Tailgate sitting on one of the benches waiting for him but instead all he heard was loud giggling. Giggling that rang familiar in his audio and when he rounded the corner he could see Tailgate running around in circles in the revolving door along with two other mini bots that looks to be data-slugs.

            Sighing, Cyclonus went over and collected him, picking him up and carrying him out under his arm.

            "H-Hey! Put me down! Cyclonus! Cyclonus!" He kicked a bit but soon gave up when they are already outside and walking. 


	4. Disposable

They had only walked half a block before Cyclonus set Tailgate down so he could walk beside him once more. He didn't want to admit it but he did enjoy the way Tailgate skipped ahead of him and paused at the top of the sidewalk for him to catch up. It was adorable and just the way Tailgate would wave to him made his inner workings flutter. At one point he set his hand on his chest to try and settle the feeling, not quite sure where it had mustered from so suddenly.

            It had started earlier that morning, at first when he had seen Tailgate sleeping against him. He had surprised himself when he didn't react with rage or disgust for finding the mini next to him but with relief. Maybe it had been possible that all this time being alone had taken its toll on him. Finding Tailgate next to him was like a breath of fresh air through his vents. The anger and sorrow that had been wafting around his spark diminished when he tucked the mini in and continued about his day. Though the good feelings had faded when he noticed Tailgate’s arm. He should have expected Tailgate would self-mutilate, most empurata victims did, usually out of guilt or self-hate. Cyclonus was an offender due to grinding down his own horns, though it certainly wasn't as painful as what Tailgate had been put to.

            "Slow down Tailgate. Don't get too close to the curb." The last thing he wanted was for Tailgate to trip and fall into oncoming traffic. If that happened nobody would care if Tailgate got hurt or died due to his current condition.

            "I'm not!" A little irritated, Tailgate spun on his heels and set his claw tips down on his hips. He looked across the street to where the park would be and his optic lit up. "C-Cyclonus! Look! Look! A fair!" He had only ever heard and read about such things, never really getting a chance to attend one.

            His optic brightened as he could see all the flashing lights and games to play. Though the fair was small, it did seem to have a few small spinning rides. Oh what he wouldn't do to get a chance to go on one, what he wouldn't do to have some fun.

            The light flashed across the street, signaling it was okay to walk across, and Tailgate ran. His little feet clacked against the hard ground as he headed straight for the flashing lights, not wanting to miss this chance.

            "Tailgate!" The mini heard from behind but didn't stop. As much as he wanted to stop and wait for Cyclonus he couldn't. He practically forgot he was supposed to be out shopping with Cyclonus as he came to a skidding stop in the center of the fair.

            It smelt absolutely delightful. So many sweet treats to be seen and so many games he could play to win cheap stuffed animals of all kinds. Oh how he wanted to win one, maybe if he was lucky he could get Cyclonus one. Would he even like that? He certainly didn't come off as the kind of mech to accept a stuffy of a turbofox. Regardless, he wanted to try. He certainly hadn't done much to display how grateful he was to Cyclonus for taking him in and he certainly had no mass amount credits to give him in thanks.

            Tailgate ducked under bots as they walked by, even sneaking between some to get a better look around. So many games to choose from, he had to at least try to find one he could win because he certainly wasn't going to win the Strong-Mech Test Your Might game. He doubted he would even be able to lift the hammer, seemed more a task for bots built like wreckers.

            Tailgate paused to catch his breath and look back and forth to try and see if Cyclonus had been following. A little spark of fear spread through his chest as he noticed Cyclonus had in fact not been keeping up and was nowhere to be seen. It seemed Tailgate had just been a little too excited and had a much easier time navigating taller bots when he was three feet shorter than they were while no doubt Cyclonus had to push his way through.

            Tailgate pulled on his claws anxiously. He tried to convince himself that Cyclonus was close by and that he only had just ran ahead a bit. There was no way Cyclonus would have just watched him run off and then turned and went home. He wouldn't abandon him there, would he?

            Tailgate shook his head to clear his thoughts. No, Cyclonus wouldn't leave him. He was just a little lost, and it had only been a few minutes, no need to freak out just yet. On the plus side Tailgate was sure he remembered how to get back to Cyclonus' apartment from here anyway. Though, what if he had knocked on the door and Cyclonus wouldn't let him in. What if he thought Tailgate ran off after he had treated him and fed him. What if he had through he was just taking advantage of his kindness.

            Another head shake and Tailgate set his claws down on the top of his head to rub a bit.

            Over thinking. Stop it.

            He knocked on the plating on the top of his head and let his vents sputter out a soft sigh. Might as well get back to what he was originally doing; but not move too far anymore if he wanted Cyclonus to have a chance at finding him. He was certainly going to get an earful from the big mech about not waiting if he did come around.

            Looking to the side, Tailgate’s single optic brightened at the sight of a bright pink cotton like object. Perked on what looked to be a stick, it hung out or a rack with several other identical objects. If he recalled, it was some form of cotton candy like energon. It would have been sweet and tasty, and probably sticky.

            He walked over to it, marveling how fluffy it looked. So badly did he want to touch it and find out for himself if it was as soft as it looked. What he really liked about it was how cheap it was, considering it was only half a credit and he had at least three in his subspace. Cyclonus had given him some earlier in the day just to make him feel like he was important. Not only that, but at some of the shops they had gone into, Cyclonus had let Tailgate pay despite him being shorter than all of the counters. Cyclonus just liked watching him stand on the tips of his peds and slide the credits to the glaring clerk who no doubt really didn't want to be serving their kind.

            Digging into his side and pulling out a credit, Tailgate went to reach for one of the sweets. He was sure he would be able to grab it and wouldn't drop it, Cyclonus has been very patient in teaching how to use his new claw hands and he had done well with his progression.

            "What do you think you're doing?!" A voice snarled and someone grabbed Tailgate’s wrist rather painfully and twisted. Tailgate squawked, nearly jumping out of his armor as he looked to the side to see a mech he didn't recognize.

            "I just wanted-"

            "We don't serve your kind here!" There was a hard shove and Tailgate staggered back so hard he fell on his aft and dropped his credit. As he was trying to recover from the rude treatment, he spotted the mech bending down and snatching up his credit.

            "Hey! That's mine! You can't take that!" He couldn't get himself up fast enough and just crawled as fast as he could to the mech. Grabbing his leg, he pulled on him and shouted. "That's mine! Give it to me!" If he wasn't getting his treat then he certainly wasn't giving over a credit. "Give it-" A hand swiped down and slapped Tailgate’s face, knocking him back hard onto his back. It certainly had dazed him, and even with his lack of cheeks it stung relatively badly. Bad enough that he felt coolant welling under his optic lens.

            "I said we don't serve your kind!" The mech howled, kicking Tailgate hard enough to send him rolling a few feet. He wasn't sure what was worse, the fact he had gotten himself in trouble for an innocent act or the fact bots were walking by and not stopping the brutal treatment even when he cried out from another kick.

            Curling up into a ball, Tailgate tried to cover his head, already sobbing as the bot above kept kicking him while he was down. Even when he rolled onto his stomach and tried to crawl away to lick his wounds the mech followed. Relentless and not letting up, he stepped on Tailgate’s clawed hand, digging it into the ground and listening to the mini cry in despair.

            "Cyclonus! Cyclonus!" He tried to pull his claws free but the mech was much heavier than he looked and Tailgate was simply just too weak. "Cyclonus!" He screamed, terrible memories of his servos being ripped off flooding his processor and making his spark race. It was going to happen again. It wasn't bad enough that it had been done to him once before but that he would now suffer a second round all over some sweet treat. "Cyclonus!"

            There was a loud clash, like metal on metal and then a loud thud followed by a groan. Tailgate hadn't realized he had offlined his optic until he had to reset it a few times just to look up and see what had happened.

            Cyclonus stood over him, his optic glowing a dangerous crimson. He snarled at the mech on the ground, leaning towards them to threaten them that he would lunge at him if he tried anything.

            Despite losing his credit when the mech got up and fled, Tailgate was beyond relieved when he felt Cyclonus’ peds at each of his sides, still shielding him. That had been too close for comfort, though his entire frame now ached, it could have been worse.

            Above him, Cyclonus was looking around, seeing the sweet puffy treat Tailgate had been after in the first place. He paused, considering it and then looked down at his trembling mini. His hands were over his head, still trying to protect himself from blows that would no longer come, but he refused to relax even with Cyclonus over him.

            "Get up." Cyclonus' tone was dark as he grabbed Tailgate’s arm and hauled him to his feet. Tailgate could feel the anger in his field, but there was an odd mix of worry swimming around in it. "Let's go." Before anything else could possibly happen, Cyclonus only had so much power in the state he was in.

            Tailgate was quiet, not wanting to say anything. Not that he really could, it was best to follow behind Cyclonus the rest of the walk home. He kept his head low, groveling as he held one of Cyclonus' hands from behind. He couldn't bare to look up at him, not after the trouble he had caused. He could even feel his tank twisting with worry. What if Cyclonus kicked him out after this for being troublesome. Surely he didn't want a mech that would make life more difficult for him, would he?

            It didn't seem to matter at the moment considering Cyclonus had taken Tailgate’s hand and pulled him along. He often looked back at Tailgate, though he wasn't certain if it was to check up on him or glare at him, it was all hard to tell when there was no face to read.

            "I'm sorry." Tailgate peeped up when they reached Cyclonus’ apartment complex. He wasn't surprised when he got no response from the big mech.

           

* * *

 

 

Cyclonus closed the apartment door with a soft click, his vents shuttering open to dispel a soft sigh. He turned, seeing Tailgate standing in the middle of the room nervously playing with his claws. He had an odd way of sliding the fat pieces of metal between one another like puzzle pieces.

            "Sit. Let me tend to your wounds." Was all Cyclonus said as he vanished into the kitchen. He knew Tailgate was waiting to be scolded but what would it accomplish if he did. It wasn't Tailgate’s fault for other mechs treating his kind the way they did. If anything Tailgate was the purest out of the bunch and meant well. It wouldn't do him any good to yell at Tailgate for being himself. Though maybe it was his fault for the way he was, considering Cyclonus had yet to hear how Tailgate came to be the way he was.

            Returning with a wet cloth and a fresh bandage, Cyclonus noticed Tailgate had taken a seat on the sofa like he had asked. He still looked down, sniffling softly from time to time until Cyclonus sat in front of him on the table.

            Without saying anything, Cyclonus took the hand that the mech had stepped on and inspected Tailgate’s claws. Nothing but a few scuffs, lucky for him Tailgate, for the most part, escaped unscathed despite the clear dents along his sides.

            "I'm sorry." Tailgate said again, his voice small as Cyclonus cleaned him up. He handed over his arm so the bandage could be changed.

            "How?" Cyclonus didn't look at Tailgate as he unwrapped the old dirty bandage and cleaned the wound.

            "What?"

            "What could you possibly have done to be punished with an empurata surgery?" He felt Tailgate try to pull his arm back but his grip was like iron. "Tailgate." He could feel Tailgate’s claws trembling in his hand.

            "I don't want to talk about it." He tried to pull again but Cyclonus refused to let him go until he got some decent answers. "I-I don't-" Cyclonus squeezed his little claws, his own rubbing the bottom of his small palm.

            "What did this say?" Cyclonus looked at the gouge marks, still fresh on Tailgate’s arm.

            "I just wanted to fit in." A thick tear dripped off the rim of Tailgate’s face mount. He wiped the next tear away but more just replaced it faster and faster. "I just wanted to be like all the others. Why was that so bad?" His vision wobbled as the tears enveloped his lens. He was scared to say, what if Cyclonus hated him for it. What if he hated him for being what he was and kicked him out.

            "Go on." He let Tailgate’s arm go once the bandage was in place.

            "My kind... sometimes we are not even allowed outside. I was one of them. I didn't want to be stuck on waste duty forever. I wanted to see outside! I wanted to be like the others and go out and talk and have fun. I wanted to mean something to somebody. I wanted to do something that had meaning. Waste-units like me are the lowest rank. We get nothing but trash and nobody cares about us." He sobbed, covering his empty face. "I painted over my unit name and went outside after hours. I just wanted to be like the normal bots. I don't want to work with trash and be called trash every day anymore."

            Cyclonus watched him, thinking a moment as the mini bot continued.

            "I tried to get a few drinks, something better to eat than the low grade they fed us. They give us just enough to keep us online but we were always starving. When I left I just wanted to eat and see the outside and go back." He shook his head. "I took extra energon back for some of the others, and I hadn't noticed the single layer of paint I put on my arm had chipped away and my title would be seen. I was chased out and was called a thief for having the extra energon, even though I paid for it! They kept chasing me even after I dropped it all until they cornered me. They tore my servos off right there and beat me up! They tore them off! It hurt so much. Cyclonus, it hurt so much." His claws slide in-between one another rapidly, his vents shuttered loudly as they flapped open and closed as he began to hyperventilate. "I just wanted to see what it was like." A loud hiccup and more tears, and Tailgate felt himself being pulled forwards.

            The warmth of Cyclonus’ frame against his own and the sudden wash of his field over his panicked one eased him. His cries softened to small hiccups and he dug his little claws into a seam on Cyclonus' front.

            Resting the tip of his chin piece on Tailgate’s head, Cyclonus just took a deep breath and rocked with him. Sure he may have been a little liar, but he hadn't hurt anybody, never had an intention to and still suffered this terrible fate. It didn't surprise him though at his brutal treatment before the actual surgery considering he was a disposable class robot. It wouldn't have mattered if they killed Tailgate while mutilating him because Tailgate didn't matter to the world. Except he did, Cyclonus' world.

            That odd feeling swelled against Cyclonus’ spark, tightening his chest. It had been a long time since he had felt remorse for anybody. It was mixed with this curious need to protect this short stack despite him being a magnet for trouble.

            "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I won't get into trouble anymore. Please don't kick me out." Tailgate trembled, feeling another hard panic arising. He dug his claws deeper into Cyclonus’ armor and hid his face in shame. "Please don't kick me out, I like it here. I'm sorry." He was scared, hurt, and utterly tired from the day's events. He wanted nothing more than to curl up on the sofa and sleep the ache away but he was so afraid Cyclonus would boot him out and back to hiding under cardboard he would go until he rust to death.

            Cyclonus pressed his claws to the small of Tailgate’s back and hugged him gently. He picked the mini up and carried him all the way to his room to set him down on the berth.

            "I'm not kicking you out Tailgate." He pushed the mini bot downward until he was laying on his side. "Get some rest, it's been a long day." Cyclonus' own optic dimed tiredly. He was going to walk away but Tailgate caught his hand.

            "Can you... lay with me? Just until I fall asleep." Cyclonus looked down at him, seeing that beautiful blue optic glimmer. This would be the first time he would lay next to Tailgate consciously rather than the mini sneaking in. He must have hesitated longer than he should have because Tailgate pulled on his hand to get his attention back.

            "Yes." He moved around the berth, climbing onto the other side and laying down next to Tailgate. He had left a good foot of space between them but Tailgate was quick to fill the gap. Rolling over, he cuddled close to Cyclonus' chest, hiding his face into the armor and off-lining his optic. He heard his vents expel a hot blast of air as the mini relaxed and slowly slipped off not slumber, leaving Cyclonus to watch over him.


	5. The Call

Days following the incident at the park, Cyclonus noticed Tailgate had quieted down and made himself scarce when Cyclonus came around. He would put his head down and pull on his little servos, nervous to be yelled at for what happened, but Cyclonus never did. He figured Tailgate thought he was going to kick him out, even after he assured him he wasn't going to be thrown back out on the street. Even still, Tailgate tried to make himself as useful as possible. He was up early to scrub the floors and make breakfast fuel for Cyclonus when he woke. He made sure all of his papers were organized and spent an unholy amount of time sitting in front of Cyclonus' book case to try and alphabetize the volumes. It was actually kind of cute to watch him struggle with it, he should have guessed Tailgate didn't have the best education being the low ranking mech he was but he was still a pretty clever little thing, despite the lack in ability to alphabetize. Cyclonus narrowed it down to Tailgate just simply not being able to read as well, perhaps that could be something he could work on with the little mech. It would be good for him to know what he was doing in case he got into any more trouble, his current condition already had him at a terrible disadvantage with the local authorities.

Beside the struggle to make books a little easier to find, Tailgate spent the majority of his time cleaning. He scrubbed the floors and walls, cleaned the washroom spotless and organized everything and anything he could. It eventually came to the point that he ran out of things to clean and would just go back to scrubbing the floors. Cyclonus wouldn't have cared, letting him scrub all he wanted if it kept him happy and kept him from worrying, but days had passed and Cyclonus started to notice Tailgate dropping the brush as he scrubbed or it slipping out of his claws. This would have been understandable if it had been the first few days Cyclonus had welcomed him into his own but it had been weeks, almost a month even and Tailgate had learned to use his new claws perfectly. Tailgate dropping the brush now and often was cause for a look at his hands.

"Tailgate." Cyclonus loomed over him, watching the mini try and hide his hands from him. Maybe getting down more on his level would make him seem less menacing, so he knelt down. "Show me your hands." He extended out his own claws, wanting Tailgate to set his hand in his.

"But I-" Tailgate stepped back, but bumped the wash bucket he had been using and nearly tripped. He panicked, and it was easy to see considering his large blue optic franticly looked side to side for a way out, except there was none. Plus, where would he go? Cyclonus was all he had and he didn't want to spend any more nights under cardboard in the rain if he could help it. All he could do was sniffle and extend his hands, laying them down in Cyclonus' palm.

Just as he thought, chemical burns all over the chubby claws. Even worse, some of the areas of the plating had bubbled and were swollen from the brush rubbing on them so much, causing it to burn and Tailgate to drop the brush in pain.

"Come with me." He let the small claws slip from his own but snagged Tailgate’s arm as he stood up. He gave a light tug and pulled him towards the washroom, and Tailgate followed obediently.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to help. I'm sorry." His vocalizer glitched and wobbled as he became increasingly upset, fearing he would be scolded or he disappointed Cyclonus. He knew he had already upset him about scratching his arms, this wouldn't make it any better. "I'm just trying to be useful and stay out of the way." A loud hiccup and he felt himself being picked up and sat on the counter. A thick tear was welling up under his optic lens and as he went to wipe it away Cyclonus stopped his hand pulled it down.

"Don't touch your optic until your hands are clean." He let Tailgate’s hand go and turned as the thick tear rolled off the rim of his little face and down onto his lap. As Tailgate tried to calm himself down, Cyclonus got a washcloth from the closet and dragged a stool over. He sat and sighed, wetting the cloth with lukewarm water and then gently wiping down Tailgate’s claws. This is what it had been like since Tailgate first came into his car, constant maintenance over him as he had subtle self destructing habits that, if left alone for too long, would become serious. The arm scratching, now the cleaning until he burned himself, he was a disaster. Except Cyclonus didn't mind washing him off and patching him up, as he remembered doing things like this to himself at one time.

" _Hic-_ " His optic flickered as Cyclonus washed over the irritated plating , it stung terribly but he didn't dare pull his hands away until he had finished.

"No more cleaning. The place looks fine, plus you'll only irritate your claws more and life is difficult enough as it is with them. Don't make it worse." His tone was low, trying to make himself sound as calm as possible as to not upset Tailgate further. "I know you're trying to make up for what happened. I know you think I am going to yell at you and throw you out, but i’m not going to. Now enough of this before you lose these as well and then have no hands at all." A quick rinse with medical grade and Cyclonus let the small hands slip from his own. "Show me your arm, I want to take the bandages off." He waited, letting Tailgate take his time to hold his arm out before taking it and unraveling the tattered bandages.

The plating had healed well, though whatever his armor had once said was very gone, in its place were light scars almost unnoticeable due to Tailgate’s white paintjob.

"No more scratching."

"Okay." He pulled his arm back, rubbing the armor and not noticing Cyclonus lean in and rest the ridge of his missing faceplate against the top of Tailgate’s own ridge. If he had to guess it was the closest thing to a forehead touch the two of them could ever possibly manage on their current forms, and it was weird. It was weird because it was Cyclonus and he hadn't shown this kind of affection to him. He hadn't been open enough to express how he felt about the mini and how much he really did enjoy his company.

Tailgate looked up, optic glossing over in confusion as he tried to figure out if Cyclonus' gesture was genuine. It was hard to read Cyclonus, as his optic was half lit as if lost in thought, and then his claws hand came down on the top of his head and gave it a small rub.

"I know you don't want go out, but eventually you do have to leave here again with me. I don't want you stuck here all day, it's not good for you."

"But what if those guys come back, what if they recognize me and try to hurt me again. What if they see you and try to hurt you because I am with you?" He was mostly afraid of them recognizing him with Cyclonus and them jumping them. He had no idea how to fight, at least how to _really_ fight since all he knew was what he saw on the holoscreen. There would be no way for him to help or defend Cyclonus if something happened, let alone himself. "What if they hurt you, all because of me-" Head down, Tailgate just shook his head until two claw tips pressed under the ridge of his chin plate.

"It won't happen. It was an accident and as long as you stay close to me you will always be safe. Nothing and no one will harm you when I am near, alright? You don't have to be afraid anymore. Life is difficult, but you can make it if you work hard. You have to work hard and cannot be afraid anymore or the outside world will break you down and walk all over you. Things will get better over time, your fears will fade-" He paused, as he wanted to say that Tailgate’s anger towards the outside world hating bots like him would grow, but he didn't want Tailgate to age the way he had. Angry, alone, frustrated at the world's betrayal.

The day he found Tailgate under the cardboard, he took it as a sign it was time to change, time to take new viewpoint and try to make these dark days a little brighter. In a sense, Cyclonus had saved Tailgate from a terrible end, but Tailgate had unknowingly done the same for him. Life as an empurata was lonely and infuriating, dealing with it alone always had terrible endings. Except these days, Cyclonus was brighter, so much so he hadn't ground down his horns in days and for the first time they had grown a little longer.

Cyclonus' optics brightened when Tailgate’s arms were suddenly around his head, hugging him and pulling him into his little frame. He cuddled into him, his vents shuttering and puffing out a hot breath as he sighed, happy. It only lasted a few seconds, and Tailgate let him go before he could push him off, not wanting to ruin the moment. He was glad that Cyclonus even gave the side of his head a quick nuzzle before leaning back and putting his hands under Tailgate’s armpits to lift him.

Helping Tailgate off the counter, Cyclonus gave his head one final little pat before walking with him back out into the main living area. Tailgate was already climbing into the sofa and reaching for the remote when Cyclonus heard his personal com ping. He stopped midway to joining Tailgate to pull up on his HUD to check who it was.

Galvatron.

It seemed odd at this hour to get a call from him, he hoped he hadn't heard about what happened the other day.

"Yes?" Cyclonus answered the call, stepping out of the room for a moment and leaving Tailgate to flick through channels until he came back. "What is it?" To be frank all he wanted to do was go to the sofa and sit with Tailgate a while rather than think about work.

"I know this is sudden but the mech who is coming to reverse your empurata will be arriving tomorrow at noon. He will only be here an hour so you have to be here on time if you want a chance at having your life back." He paused, expecting a reply but none came. Instead Cyclonus stood in the doorway, one hand holding the door frame for support at the news. It was a lot sooner than he had expected, almost two weeks too soon. "Cyclonus?"

"I... uh. This is good news." His intake was dry and it took three resets to get his vocalizer to function right. He should have been happy, but dread spread through his tank. As he tried to find more to say, he looked over his shoulder to Tailgate who was happily swinging his legs off the sofa and pressing the Holo screens remote controls. He wasn't watching Cyclonus, wasn't listening either. "I will be there, tomorrow." Cutting the com off before Galvatron could press the matter more, Cyclonus turned and headed over to the sofa.

He sat down hard, making Tailgate’s frame jump on the other side of the sofa and making him laugh. The cheerful giggle faded as he noticed Cyclonus' optic was dull and lost in thought.

"Is something wrong?" Cyclonus' optic brightened and he looked at Tailgate who had set the remote down and was now looking at him. He was sitting with his legs criss-crossed now, his claws picking at his legs until Cyclonus shrugged.

"Just... have something to think about. Nothing to worry yourself with." reaching over, Cyclonus removed the remote from between Tailgate’s legs and flicked through the channels until he found a show to watch.

"Okay." Not sure really want to say, Tailgate could feel a sudden change in Cyclonus' EM field. It was full of static, swirling worry and clouded. Cyclonus might not have wanted to talk about it, and since he was still here it really couldn't have been that bad. Whatever, he was here and he was next to him and it was fine. Everything was fine, and he liked that.

Laying down, Tailgate rested his head in Cyclonus' lap, getting comfortable and watching the holoscreen with him until his optic flickered now and again as recharge reached for him. He fought it off as long as he could, though when he felt Cyclonus' hand start to stroke up and down his side, sleep ebbed over him even faster. The touch was nice, and Cyclonus' claws felt pretty good glossing over his armor seams. It was soothing, and it lulled him to sleep right there in his lap.

An hour had passed since Tailgate had fallen asleep, but Cyclonus remained on the couch with him. He didn't want to move, didn't want to disturb the mini bot sleeping as he looked so peaceful and happy. Instead, as the holoscreen droned on, Cyclonus just kept petting Tailgate’s head and side. He would let his hand come to rest on Tailgate’s middle, just feeling him breathing before continuing his petting.

At some point, Cyclonus finally got up and picked Tailgate up. He held him close and gave him a quick nuzzle before bringing him to his berth room. It went unspoken now that Tailgate was welcome to sleep with him, as he slept much better and had less nightmares when he had someone next to him. If it was just the knowledge of knowing he wasn't alone at night that put his mind to ease, then it was fine, not to mention Cyclonus did like having him next to him. Far too long had he spent his nights alone, and Tailgate had awakened something inside of him that he thought was long dead.

Gently, Cyclonus laid Tailgate down, tugging the blanket up over him and leaving what could be thought of as a kiss on the rim of Tailgate’s missing faceplate, if he had lips as it again just looked like he was bumping heads.

"Cyclonus?" Voice heavy with sleep, Tailgate’s optic lit in a small line, barely online at all.

"Shh, go back to sleep. It's late." Tucking him in, Cyclonus jointed him on the other side of the berth, moving close to him and pressing his chest to Tailgate’s back. He offered what warmth he had to the mini, and was pleased when Tailgate rolled over to snuggle into him.

"Good night Cyclonus." Tucking his little hands between them, Tailgate’s optic offlined and his frame relaxed as he slipped back into slumber, leaving Cyclonus to his thoughts about tomorrow’s events and how he would break it to Tailgate.


	6. Life Isn't Perfect

"Cyclonus! Cyclonus!" Tailgate tugged on his arm as they walked down the street. The mini huffed and even stopped his little peds when the warrior continued to ignore his whining. "Cyclonus, why wouldn't you let me eat this morning? I'm hungry and now it's almost midday." He continued to pull on Cyclonus' arms, jumping up at him until he got tired and just walked to his side. Maybe he was mad at him for hurting his hands yesterday, he should have known all he had been doing lately was messing up. At some point Cyclonus would have to be fed up with it. He was worried when Cyclonus suddenly got up from the area he had been sitting and said they needed to go, and his tone was urgent. It had been so out of the blue and he didn't answer any of Tailgates questions as to where or why they were going out. It didn't help that Tailgate still really wasn't keen on leaving the apartment yet but he was dragged out faster than he could protest.

            He had been nervous, walking with Cyclonus a few blocks until he realized they were taking the same route they always did when it came to shopping for foods other things they needed around the home. Maybe he was just out on some errands with him again and needed him to carry bags again. Except this time Tailgate was determined to stay by Cyclonus' side no matter what neat distraction arose. As Cyclonus had said, he was safe as long as he was with him.

            "Take my hand." Cyclonus stopped at the end of the curb and held out his hand to Tailgate who took it almost instantly. He was happy that Cyclonus didn't squeeze too tight as his hands were still rather sore. Regardless, together they crossed the street, and even when on the other side Tailgate kept holding Cyclonus' hand. He was happy Cyclonus didn't seem to want to let go, which made Tailgate feel a little happier about passing the small convenience store they got supplies from.

            Deep down, a little voice in the back of Tailgates mind started to speak up. He tried to push it down, but the father they seemed to go the more he knew it worried him.

            What if Cyclonus was taking him someplace he didn't know to dump him. Just leave him someplace so far that he wouldn't know how to find his way back to him or his apartment. What if he was just luring him out just to do all of that and leave him for dead. What if he already had a spot picked out with a new box for him to hide under.

            Whimpering, Tailgate stopped and pulled Cyclonus' hand hard into the open space of where his face should have been.

            "Stop! Cyclonus, please, where are we going! Why won't you answer me!?"

            "To Galvatron. I have a meeting with him at noon."

            "Galvatron?" He looked up, then looked around Cyclonus to see the familiar large building with the revolving doors he had been in just a few blocks away. He hadn't remembered the route due to the fact he had only been there once, and even then he hadn't been to observant of his surroundings. "Oh-" So they were just out for errands and he was overthinking it all, again.

            "Come on, we will be late if we stand here. It's important we are on time." Stroking the side of Tailgates head, Cyclonus moved his hand behind Tailgate and gently pushed him forwards. "When we are done we can go home, maybe get something to eat on the way, how does that sound?" It sounded good in all honesty, because Tailgate was starving. It had been really strange that when he had woken up Cyclonus insisted that he not eat breakfast. He provided no reason other than the fact that he just shouldn't eat and later they could. Maybe he had just been out of energon, he hadn't looked since Tailgate just accepted not having breakfast and went about his day until he was forced to leave. Maybe Cyclonus was planning a really nice lunch and just wanted him to be hungry for it, that didn't seem so bad.

The outside of the building was as busy as it had been the first time Tailgate had been there. Bots walked in and out of the main doors while also using the revolving doors. Tailgate headed in the direction of the revolving doors but his hand caught in Cyclonus' grip. He whined, but fell back in place by his side while the two of them had to use the boring normal doors.

            "Later." He said, letting Tailgates hand go and patting him on the top of the head. He ushered the smaller bot into the large main lobby and pushed him towards the elevator. He was happy that most bots cleared out and moved when they entered it. Tailgate was very interested in pressing the button to their destination, and Cyclonus lifted him up so he could press it since it was much higher than he could normally reach.

            Setting Tailgate down, Cyclonus let out a soft sigh, his optic angling down to get a look at Tailgate who was moving himself back and forth to look at his own reflection of the elevators walls. Chubby servos touched all over the ridge of his missing faceplate, and the sides of his face. He didn't think Tailgate was interested in seeing himself the way he was, or maybe that was just him who didn't want to see his own reflection as it bothered but, but Tailgate seemed content. Maybe he had just accepted his fate a lot sooner than Cyclonus had.

            Doors opening, Cyclonus stepped out and Tailgate skipped along behind him. The building hadn't changed since the last time he had been there, still everything was royally decorated and beautiful.

            "Wait out here, I will call you when I need you." Tailgate could have guessed Cyclonus was going to make him wait outside again. Except this time, Tailgate sat down on the soft cushioned bench without a fuss and waited. "This won't be long." Opening the door to Galvatrons office, Cyclonus shut it behind him and left Tailgate alone.

            This time, Galvatron wasn't alone in his office, nor was he standing behind his desk but in front of it shaking the hand of a bot about the same size as him. If he had to guess it was the medic who was going to replace his face, except he didn't look like standard medics. Most medics favored by nature white and red paint jobs, maybe a few colors mixed in, but this bot was a light gray with blue highlights, someone he had never seen before. Maybe it had to do with the fact this was all being done under the table and was in fact somebody who just knew how to reverse an empurata surgery rather than a certified medic.

            "Right on time as usual." Galvatron stepped forwards, slapping his hand onto Cyclonus' shoulder. He was jovial, happy Cyclonus would be restored and life could go on the way he once had, but Cyclonus was quiet. "This is the mech who will be doing the surgery today. It shouldn't take more than an hour he tells me."

         "You're in good hands." The supposed medic stepped forwards and held out his hand to shake, and Cyclonus did out of respect. "After the surgery you will be out for a little while, though it shouldn't be too long. Galvatron tells me you will be safe here to rest until you can go home." The medic and Galvatron both looked at one another and nodded. Everything had been carefully arranged to make sure this all went down as smoothly as possible.

        "About the surgery." Cyclonus began, looking down at his own claws hands and shaking his head. "I won't be getting it."

            "What?! Cyclonus what are you talking about? Are you mad? After all this you don't want to get it? You do realize that this mech is only here for today and who knows when the next time he can come back will be, it would be _years_!" Grabbing the front of Cyclonus' chestplate, Galvatron shook his warrior. "Why?!"

            "I want you to give the surgery to Tailgate." Cyclonus leaned back a bit as Galvatron snarled and then fell silent in shock.

            "That mini you found?! That minibot?! You'll give this up and a chance at a normal life again just for some mangy minibot you found outside one day? You're letting your feelings get the best of you Cyclonus! Think about this."

            "I have. For a while, and this is what I have decided. I would like Tailgate to take my place and have the surgery instead." Gently, Cyclonus pushed Galvatron back to give the two of them space. He knew he wouldn't take the news well, as Galvatron felt guilty in the first place for this happening to his best warrior and had spent so long in trying to fix it. "I can manage just fine with the way I am. Tailgate is still young and still has a lot of life to live. I don't want him going through life being trapped with no options. I have had options, I am here now, I still work for you unless you plan to fire me for this choice. I live comfortable even like this, and with tailgate with me now I have never been happier, but Tailgate still needs a chance at a life without me one day, and this is how he is going to get it when the time comes."

            There was a long pause of silence, except the medic seemed pleased with Cyclonus story while Galvatron pinched the bridge of his nose.

            "Are you... are you sure about this Cyclonus. Once this is done, there won't be any going back and you will be stuck waiting a very long time for another chance."

            "I am fine with it." He had spent all night thinking about it and going over all the reason he should put Tailgate first over himself. It was just the right thing to do.

            "Call him in then and let's get this over with." Galvatron turned to his desk and sat down, just shaking his head as Cyclonus left the room a moment to return with Tailgate in front of him. He had been all nice and cheery until he saw the medic and halted in his tracks. Cyclonus walked into him and kept pushing him forwards, his hands on his shoulders to keep him in place so he wouldn't run behind him and hide.

            "What is this?" Tailgate looked up, confused.

            "This is the medic who is going to restore your face."

            "What?"

            "Your face, it's going to be fixed. You won't be an empurata anymore." He watched Tailgates optic flicker, and then brighten.

            "We don't have to be this way anymore?! He is going to fix us?!" He jumped, happily taking Cyclonus' claws into his own and laughing.

            "No, just you." The jumping stopped, and Tailgate let his hands go, taking a step back and shaking his head. "No-"

            "Yes."

            "But you should be fixed. Not me, I'm just a... I'm not worth anything. You are."

            "Tailgate, listen to me, you're worth more than you know. I am giving you this chance at a normal life so you can do what you want. So you don't have to be afraid anymore." He took Tailgates hands again, squeezing them as he noticed the mini was shaking. A large glob if fluid gathered under his optic lens and gushed down the rim of his chin. He sniffled and shook his head, looking down. "You're going to be fine. I'll be here when you wake up, and we can go home."

            "I don't want it, it should be you. What if you don't like the way I look? You should be doing it. I'm just some trash you found on the side of the street. What if he's like the last medic who did this to me!? He will pull of my claws like they did my servos while I was awake. I don't want to do that again, I won't!" A choked sob and Tailgate pushed himself into Cyclonus' arms, hiding his face into Cyclonus' neck. He cried and cried until the medic came over and knelt down by the two of them.        

            "You'll look fine, Tailgate. Nobody here is going to hurt you, not anymore. I told you as long as I am here you are safe. So no more fussing, everything is going to be okay." He pushed Tailgate off of himself and had him face the medic who had a soft smile.

            "Hey, you're going to be okay. I will take very good care of you. I promise you're going to feel a lot better when you wake up than how you feel now. Cyclonus and Galvatron and I will all be here when you wake up. You'll be safe, okay?" He watched tailgate nod and rub under his optic to stop another thick tear from streaming down. "Good. Now, how about you and I go get ready? Yeah? It will be over before you know it." He extended a large hand, waiting for Tailgate to set his little one in it after Cyclonus gave him a quick nuzzle.

            Standing, Cyclonus watched the medic walk Tailgate to a side room, and just before the door closed he saw tailgate worried little optic. He was terrified, and wanted nothing more than to leave but it was for the best.

            The door clicked shut and Cyclonus sat, now picking at his own horns in worry if he had done the right thing. His nerves only worsened when the door opened only a few minutes later and the medic came out and walked directly to Cyclonus.

            "Nothing worry about, nothing is wrong but-" He trailed off. "I looked at Tailgates hands and I just don't have the material to replace them.  I thought I was doing only you today so I had brought select armor for a mech your size. I can still do Tailgates head, but his hands will still be the same. The good news is that I can do your hands, Cyclonus. I won't have enough left over for your head, but your hands I can do today if you want. It takes only a few minutes to replace them and reroute the cables. Is that something you would want me to do?"

            "I-" Cyclonus had already come to peace with having nothing done to him today, so this was a welcome surprise, so much so that his spark fluttered at the realization his life wasn't going to be completely stuck the way it was. "Yes." He nodded and the medic nodded. "I will get to it after I finish with Tailgate. He is under right now I am just letting it set in a little while longer before I start." And with that the medic was right back around to the side room, and now all he could do was wait.

 

* * *

  

The hour had come and gone and the medic came out and fixed Cyclonus hands, helping him re-calibrate them and work them to make sure each servo worked accordingly before parting ways and telling him he would be on contact with him the next time he was around in hopes of fixing the rest of Cyclonus. Though like Galvatron had said, it could be years before he came around.

            "You can see him, it actually probably would be best if he woke up and you were next to him. It will keep him calm as his optic won't online right away. His body needs to get used to the feeling of resetting them again and it might scare him. Just keep him calm and everything will be alright." One last look over Cyclonus' new hands and he was gone.

            Cyclonus had stood in front of the door to the side room for a few minutes, just staring at it, afraid to talk in and see what had been done. He didn't think it had been botched or anything, but he had been curious to know what Tailgate looked like with his original form.

            The knob turned slowly and he entered, a single chair was placed next to the berth Tailgate was laying on and already he could see a difference. The gaping hole and the large blue optic lens was gone, and in its place remained an offlined visor and a rather cute little face. CUte little while lips took the space up, small little cheeks and a button nose. He was adorable, a lot more adorable than he had ever thought and he felt his vents stutter at the sight. This little mini bot was cute and sweet, and even with his hands unrepaired, he was wonderful.

            Sitting down beside Tailgate, Cyclonus reached forwards and lightly touched Tailgates lips. So soft and puffy, his cheeks were just as soft and his hand eventually came to rest on his forehead. He kept it there, just looking him over in awe, he was wonderful.

            "Tailgate." Cyclonus whispered, stroking the cheek again. "Tailgate, can you hear me?" There was no response, but Cyclonus could see his chest still rising and falling. It was alright, let him rest, he needed it.

Heavy, everything felt heavy he felt dizzy as he was pulled out of his slumber. Everything was black, he couldn't get his optic online no matter how many times he tried to reset it. He started to panic, and when he tried to sit up there was a warm hand on his chest to keep him down.

            "Don't move." It was Cyclonus' voice, but that wasn't his hand. There were no claws, only smooth servo tips, it must have been the medic by his side just holding him down. "Relax. It will take your body a while to recalibrate your optics. Just lay back." And Tailgate did, though his hands moved up and touched one another and for the first time, Cyclonus watched the minis face twist in confusion.

            "Mmh... haan-"

            "The medic didn't have the supplies to fix them. He could only do your face, he fixed my hands instead." He placed his hand into Tailgates so he could feel it, seeing tailgate try and get a feeling for his own lips again. He licked them, and then his visor flickered a few times as it struggled to stay online.

            "Mmm..." It blinked on and the world around him came into view, granted a little fuzzy it was all there, and so was Cyclones' large red optic. "I have... lips."

            "You do."

            "My visor!" He sat up faster than Cyclonus could push him down, his little claws all over his own face. "It's back! It's all back! I can't believe this! It's back!" Coolant poured out from under his visor, streaming down his new found cheeks. "Cyclonus, it's back!"

            "You look better than ever." A small chuckle as Tailgate leaned off the berth and hugged him tightly.

            "Thank you Cyclonus, thank you!" He leaned back and started to touch all over his own face, so shocked he had lips and a nose again. He couldn't stop touching and squeezing them, making himself laugh as he did so. "Can we... can we go home now?" He suddenly stopped, looking at Cyclonus who nodded and stood.

            "Yes. But I am going to carry you. You're going to be weak from the surgery." He scooped Tailgate up, no protect from him as he got to rest his head on Cyclonus' shoulder as they left the room. Both bidding Galvatron an good day and heading down stairs. Still, Cyclonus let Tailgate press the elevator button, and as they left Cyclonus went through the revolving doors.

 

* * *

 

 

Several days later, and Tailgate couldn't have been happier. He didn't mind he still had clawed hands as Cyclonus had taught him well how to use them and he went on with his daily life helping Cyclonus do whatever it was he needed him to do. Together they cooked, and together they took daily walks wherever they could, and Tailgate had grown confident enough to walk to the general store on his own. Life went on, the two sleeping side by side every night, Tailgate cleaning, and mentioning how much longer Cyclonus' horns had grown . Everything had gone on normally until the night Tailgate climbed up into the sofa next to Cyclonus and sat on his lap.

            Cyclonus had also discovered Tailgate had a faceplate that could be snapped back and forth to cover his mouth, and out of habit Tailgate usually always had it closed unless he was talking to Cyclonus in which he would snap it back so he could see his lips.

            "Yes?" Cyclonus looked down at him, seeing the mini sit perfectly on his lap. He tensed when tailgate leaned forwards and pressed those puffy little lips right under the ridge of his chin plate. He kissed again, moving downward until he kissed and mouthed over Cyclonus' neck. One more kiss to the energon line and Tailgate let his head come to rest on Cyclonus' shoulder.

            "Cyclonus." Tailgates voice was small, but he smiled when he felt Cyclonus rest his hands on his hips. "I love you."

            He wished he could kiss him back, but the best he could do to return the affection was brush their heads together. He dug his servos into Tailgates hip seams, sliding him forwards a little bit.

            "Tailgate." Panel hot, he was hesitant, worried. Tailgate was special to him, and he didn't want to ruin what they already had. He could have figured something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. He hadn't expected the mini to be interested in someone like him but yet here he was, cuddling him and kissing him. "Are you sure..."

            "Mhm." There was a soft click between them, Tailgates lower panel opening. Heat from his valve radiated down onto Cyclonus' groin and he felt his spike pulse. He already knew Tailgate had interfaced before, as a conversation about past loves had rose one day and Tailgate was rather open about himself. That seemed to ease Cyclonus' worries about hurting him, yet still he was cautious.

            "I don't want to hurt you." It was his turn now to rest his head on Tailgates shoulder, sighing.

            "As long as I am with you, I'll be safe right? I'm not worried." Little droplets of lubricant sprinkled down onto Cyclonus' closed hatch, and it tingled in response.

            A small node and Cyclonus hatch retracted, spike rising slowly between them. It nosed Tailgates valve, the head pressing against the warm wet lips but pushing no further. Instead, he took Tailgates little hands and squeezed them, his optic dimming down till it was nearly offline. A shaky breath, and he watched Tailgate sink down about halfway before rising up to sink down again.

            Tailgates valve was warm and welcoming. Tight indeed but the mini made no noise of discomfort and kept moving himself as a nice slow pace until he was able to sit all the way down on Cyclonus' lap. From there on he kept moving himself, rocking slowly and kissing Cyclonus in response to their shared moans.

            Looking down, Cyclonus spotted the bright blue little outer node and if he could smile he would have. Everything about this mini-bot was adorable, and he chuckled, head butting Tailgate affectionately as he felt the little valve flutter around his spike.

            He let Tailgate ride him for as long as he wanted, his vents becoming labored when he thought he was going to overload but kept it at bay just a while longer to watch Tailgate ride on. He wiggled his hips and clenched, his little lips parting when he moaned out.

            Extracting his one hand from Tailgates grip, Cyclonus moved it down and gently pressed against Tailgates outer node, rubbing soft circles around the little bead.

            "O-Oh~ Cyclonus." Together their equipment throbbed, and Tailgate let his head fall back. A sudden and very strong burst of heat spilled over his groin as he overloaded, radiating up to his stomach and down to his knees, making his little peds curl in reaction. "Mhm!" He dropped down, swallowing Cyclonus spike and accepting the hot flow of fluid that suddenly filled the remaining space as Cyclonus overloaded with him.

 

* * *

 

  Together, they sat there panting, still joined together at the waist, they say for a while and just listened to the TV drone on. All the while, Tailgate stroked Cyclonus' horns and face, telling him all sorts of sweet things, happy he just sat there and listened. This is what he loved the most, and he never wanted it to go away. He wanted life with Cyclonus to continue as long as possible, he wanted more moments like this, a life, a happy life.

 

* * *

 

  **Three months later**

 

* * *

 

 

Cyclonus had his arm up on the top of a bench, he had been running around the fairgrounds with him nearly all day and just needed to take a small break. He thought Tailgate was tired as well and would have wanted to sit with him but instead the mini had took off for something and said he would be right back.

            He waited, watching bots walk back and forth and play several of the available games to play for cheap prizes until he saw Tailgate running through the crowed with a single cotton candy in hand.

            "Cyclonus! Look, I got this for us, I saw it this morning when we came in. I figured we could get some before we left but this is just as good." Hopping up onto the bench, Tailgate scooted over until their thighs touched and pulled a chunk of the sweet pink fluff off the bunch. "Here! Try it it's really good."

            Taking the puff, Cyclonus opened the port on his arm and stuck it in, waiting for it to liquefy and then humming as it did taste rather sweet. He looked to the side, seeing Tailgate pushing some into his own mouth and blushing at the flavor. He loved it and took another bite then tore another chunk off and gave it to Cyclonus.

            One after another, Tailgate kept sharing his treat, and together they sat and ate, Tailgate swinging his legs off the bench while Cyclonus just kept taking the cotton puffs from him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading


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